Camping for Fashionistas

I shouldbe packing right now. Nine days of camping lie ahead. Nine days of nothing but surf, sand, friends, family and (hopefully) a non-leaking air-bed. It will be the longest stretch of time we have ever camped. Now, just to be clear we are a camping family but we are a convenience camping family. We go were the amenities are. No digging holes for me.

We are also normally a three to four day kind of camping family. We have a tent, not a camper van, and while we have enough to mod cons to make this comfy, we aren’t really set up for long term camping. Luckily, we go with friends who could probably camp for six months and be completely set. Camping Tip #1 – go with friends who have lots of camping stuff.

Camping for over a week also means packing a lot more clothes than normal. And of course the eldest school kid has about four shirts that actually fit him. Seems to happen every school holidays – suddenly realise that after a term of wearing a school uniform, clothes no longer fit properly. Does this happen to anyone else?

ANDI have to pack for myself. In reality, I will probably spend the whole time in swimmers and a throw (most likely this one). BUT I do like to be prepared. I don’t quite know if I can call myself a fashionista (it just made for a catchier title than camping for people who quite like clothes) but I don’t want to look a complete mess either.

Here are my camping style tips

(is that even a thing – camping style? Is there a hashtag?)

Pack a specific outfit for each day. Normally on holiday I’d pack a few things and rely on mix and match, but a tent is not the place to make that work. I have pre-planned each day.

On set-up and pack-up day, make sure you are wearing something really practical. Probably not a maxi dress.

Hopefully it won’t rain, but a spray jacket is kind of awesome if does.

Pack a pair of sneakers with your sandals. A hike up a nearby mountain in a pair of sparkly sandals in actually no fun. Not that I have done it (I have done it).

Pack something warm, even if it’s a million degrees during the day, it will get cooler at night. Layers are key.

Check what the facilities are like. If there is a laundry you won’t have to pack quite so much. (I know it’s camping. I know you can definitely re-wear dirty clothes with NO judgement. I just don’t want to.)

Think about what you are doing during your camping trip and, if needed, make sure that you have a dressier option. We are hoping to have a ladies lunch out at a fancy new restaurant nearby. I think it’s called “glamping”.

Keep the undies simple, cotton and plentiful.

Pack a couple drawstring bags for dirty laundry.

Chances are you will be out and about in your PJs. I tend to just pack a singlet and a pair of comfy pants.

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13 thoughts on “Camping for Fashionistas”

We are twins, I am a bit of a ‘glamping’ girl myself. Plenty of sunshine and blue skies are the two ingredients you will need the most. Good to plan ahead but, as you say, you will probably wear pretty much the same thing each day – that’s the beach for you! Here’s hoping you can grab a little bit of colour coordinated me time under a shady tree! Enjoy – and rock those beach waves (literally) and in your hair – we fine-haired girls can always do with a bit of texture and body courtesy of the sea.

Your idea of preplanning for each day is great. When we camp we use the back / boot of our car to store our luggage. By the end it’s a disaster and there are just a mass of clothes everywhere. Maybe each day’s clothes packaged up together might solve this. With just spares like warmer items and pjs stored separately. You’ve got me thinking now. I agree with bringing something a little bit nice, just in case. I like going camping, but I like to look like I’m glamping!Collette recently posted…Womenfolk Series: Meaghan Shelton

My idea of camping is an on-site cabin with bathroom so my tips are probably useless. All the sunscreen and all the mosquito repellant are a must, though!Beth at AlmostPosh.com recently posted…Sephora Black Friday Purchases

Love this post. I’m not much of a camper, but I’m happy to be a grot in a camp situation. No hiking in sparkly sandals for me. I wouldn’t even pack my sparkly sandals. In fact, I don’t even own sparkly sandals! Ha. Not that I don’t like clothes. I do! I do! I’m just very much a jeans and converse kind of girl. xxKate @onesmalllife recently posted…The Harshest Critic

Good tips, especially the first one – friends with stuff! Best to be uber planned when camping so nothing goes to astray. If it goes wrong camping, it goes very wrong indeed!
No excuse to look like a mess even if you are allowed, I applaud your camping style, just glitter up those hiking shoes and hit that hill/mountain! Enjoy xClare recently posted…Through The Lens Thursday #49. View.

Definitely plenty of undies and bras. There’s not much worse when camping than a 3+ day worn sweaty bra that just.hasn’t.dried. Ewww! I like to pack a second pair of jeans and an extra hoodie as inevitably, it will rain, and my previously worn jeans are icky clammy gross and yucky around the ankles.